Automobile lift



Oct. 5, 1937. c. J. BRlsTol. ET AL AUTOMOBILE LIFT Filed Dec. 8, 1954 MWan@ WM Patented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES AUTOMOBILE LIFT Cyrus J.Bristol and Elmer B. Thompson, Des Moines, Iowa, assgnors to GlobeMachinery & Supply Company, Des Moines, Iowa, a corporation of IowaApplication December 8, 1934, Serial No. 756,610

2 Claims. V(Cl. 25d- 93) At the present time there is in general use twowell known varieties of automobile lifts, one known as the roll on type,and which is characterized by having two trough shaped runways normallyflush with the door when the lift is in a lowered position upon whichthe automobile wheels are driven, and upon which they remain during theup and down movement of the lift.

One of the major advantages of this type of lift is, that when the liftand automobile are in an elevated position and being serviced, theautomobile cannot be pushed sideways off of the runway, and aregenerally considered as being safe for both the operator and theautomobile.

The other` variety now in common use is generally known as the freewheeling type, and it is characterized by having two parallel rails tonormally rest upon the floor surface between the wheels of an automobilewhen driven ln position over the lift, and which rails, or jacksthereon, engage and support the automobile axles when being raised andlowered. This free wheeling type has the advantage of permitting anoperator to conveniently and easily service the under surface of anautomobile, and specifically to service the automobile brakes and removethe wheels, but has the disadvantage that in some instances it may bepushed olf of the lift when in an elevated position.

The object of our invention is to provide an automobile lift of simple,durable and inexpensive construction having the advantageous features ofboth the roll on and free wheel types of lifts, and at the same timeavoiding the disadvantages thereof.

More specifically, it is our object to provide a lift in which theroll-on runways may, when in lowered position, rest flat against thefloor so that an automobile may be conveniently and easily placedthereon, and then the roll-on runways may, if desired, be elevated bythe lift in the ordinary manner of a roll on lift, or, if desired, theroll-on runways may be permitted to retain their position resting uponthe floor., and the free wheeling rails may be elevated until they, orjacks mounted thereon, engage and elevate the automobile to a limiteddistance, wherey upon the roll-on runways are automatically carriedupwardly with the free wheeling rails and the automobile so that at anyposition of the up and down movement of the lift the runways will standspaced apart a short distance between the automobile wheels, so that thewheels or brakes may be serviced and the wheels removed conveniently andeasily, and so that in the event the automobile should be tiltedlaterally off of the Vsupporting free wheeling rails, the wheels of theautomobile would enter the roll-on runways and thereby prevent theautomobile from moving oir of the lift.

Further in this connection, it is our object to provide a lift of thisclass in which, if so desired, the operator may leave the roll-onrunways in their position upon the oor and then raise and lower the liftin the manner of a free wheeling lift, with all of the advantages as topointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the y accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a vertical transverse central sectional view of a liftembodying our invention, with a portion of an automobile mounted uponthe roll-on runways thereof.

Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the central portion of said lift, withparts broken away to show the double piston and cylinder arrangement.

Figure 3 shows a side elevation of one of the free wheeling railmembers, with a jack device thereon, and an automobile axle and wheel inposition above the jack, to be engaged and supported thereby when thejack is elevated.

Referring to the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeralI0 to indicate generally a cylinder mounted in an upright position withits upper end below the level of the floor II. Slidingly mounted withinthis cylinder is a piston I2, formed hollow, and having abottom memberI3, and open at its top. Fixed to the upper end of this piston I2 islaplatform I4, and mounted upon and supported by this platform are theroll-on runways I5, of ordinary construction.

Resting upon the platform I4 between the rollon runways I 5 are the freewheel rails I6, of ordinary construction. These free wheel rails areconnected together by means of a supporting plate I1.

Slidlngly mounted within the hollow piston I2 is a second'piston I8,having a. closed bottom I9, and having its upper end projected above theupper end of the piston I2, and fixed to the plate I1. A pipe 20 isextended down through the center of this piston vI8 into the spacebetween the piston bottom members I3 and I9, and at the top of the pipe20 there is a flexible hose 2| connecting it to a pipe 22 in which fluidunder pressure is contained, and a manually controlled valve 23 isprovided-in this pipe 22. A similar pipe 24 is connected to the sourceof uid supply under pressure and is controlled by a manualmay functionin the manner of the ordinary rollon lift, the operator opens the valve25 and permits fluid, under pressure, to raise the piston I2 in theordinary manner. 'Ihis will elevatethe platform I4, and since the freewheel rails rest upon said platform, the free wheel rails will beelevated with the platform; and since these free wheel rails do notnormally engage an automobile axle when in position, as shown in Figure1, the lift can be thereby operated as a "roll-on lift and the freewheel rails will not in any way interfere with this movement of thelift.

Assuming that it is desired to operate the lift as a free wheel lift,then the operator opens the valve 23, whereupon air under pressure isadmitted'to the space between the bottom I9 of the piston I8 and thebottom I3 of the pistonV I2. When this is open the piston I2 remains inits lowered position and is firmly heldin position by the fluid pressureupon the bottom I3. The piston I8, however, is raised until the freewheel rails, or jacks thereon, engage the automobile axle and lift theautomobile in the manner of the ordinary free wheel lift.

In the event, however, that it is desired to operate the lift in amanner combining the advantages of a free wheel lift and a roll on lift,then the operator manipulates the valves 23 and 25 to raise theautomobile to the desired height, and then lower the roll-on runways tothe desired distance beneath the automobile wheels for servicing orremoving them, and at the same time having the roll-on runways so closeto the automobile wheels that in the event that pressure should beapplied to the automobile in a manner tending to tilt it laterally fromthe free wheel supporting members, then the roll-on runways will be inposition to engage the wheels and prevent the automobile from slippinglaterally off of the lift. v

In the event that the lift was in its elevated `position and theoperator was working on the roll-on runways down to the floor surface,thus fully exposing the under surface of practically the entireautomobile. y

In practical use with our invention, and assuming that it is desired tooperate the lift in a manner having all of the convenience an'd safetyof the ordinary roll on lift and at the same time having the advantagesof a "free wheeling lift as to the servicing of the wheels and brakes ofan automobile thereon, then when the lift is being elevated it is somanipulated by the operator that the free wheel rails, or jacks thereon,will rst engage the automobile axles and elevate them a short distanceabove the roll-on runways. Then, during the further elevation of thelift, the roll-on runways .will move upwardly -to any desired height andmaintain the same spaced apart position with relation to the free wheelrails, so that in the event that the automobile on the lift should betilted laterally, it will not fall, but the wheels will engage and restupon the roll-on runways.

In. the event that it is desired to use the lift in the manner of anordinary "roll on lift, then the parts are so adjusted that, as thepiston I2 isV raised, both the roll-on runways andthe free wheel railswill be jointly elevated with it and will maintain their same relativepositions.

Further, inv the event that it is desired to use the lift in the mannerof an ordinary free wheeling lift, then the roll-on runways and theirsupporting platform may beA permitted to rest in their normal positionsubstantially flush with the floor surface, and the free wheeling railsand their supports will be elevated to any desired position in theordinary manner.

One of the advantages of our invention is that, under allcircumstances,the automobile may be driven upon the roll-on runways whenthey `are in their position substantially ush with the floor surface, totherebyv avoid Vprobable injury or damage to the automobile such asmight be caused by having the roll-on runways elevated above the surfacewhen the automobile is driven on it. Furthermore, it is advantageous attimes tohave the roll-on runways substantially flush with the oorsurface so that automobiles may be pushed to position upon the roll-onrunways without operating the automobile engine.

With our improvement, and when an automobile has been placed upon theroll-on runways, then it is always accurately centered relative to thefree wheel rails, so that when the free wheel rails are elevated toposition for raising the automobile out of the roll-on runways, then theautomobile will be properly balanced upon the free wheel rails.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an automobile lift, the combination of a roll-on automobilesupporting member, a free wheel automobile supporting member arrangedwith its axle engaging rails between the roll-on runways and normallysupported for up and down movement by a portion of the roll-on member, acylinder. a piston within the cylinder, said piston being operativelyconnected to said roll-on member forraising and lowering it, and beingformed hollow and open at its upper end, and a second piston within thefirst operatively connected with the free wheel member for raising orlowering it independently of the roll-on member, or jointly therewith.

2. In an automobile lift, the combination of a roll-on automobilesupporting member, a free wheel automobile supporting member arrangedwith its axle engaging rails between the roll-on runways and normallysupported for up and down movement by a portion ofthe roll-on member, acylinder, a piston within the cylinder, said piston being operativelyconnected to said roll-on member for raising and lowering it, and beingformed hollow and open at its upper end, a second piston within thefirst operatively connected with the free wheel member for raising orlowering it independently of the roll-on member, or jointly therewith,manually controlled means for delivering fluid under pressure to thespace between the bottom of the cylinder and the bottom, of the firstpiston, 'and manuallyl controlled means for delivering fluid underpressure to the space between the bottoms of the first and secondpistons.

CYRUS J. BRISTOL. ELMER B. THOMPSON.

